March 25, 2024 • 54 mins
New Kids On The Block recruited Boston born talent Joey McIntyre as their youngest member, and decades later they're still together.
'Step-By-Step' Joey takes us through the years with NKOTB.
From being the 'new kid' in the group, to his partying days, to his 'Wicked' work on stage, Joey loved every minute and so did WE!
Plus, he tells us about an upcoming "New Kids" album AND their summer tour!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey Dude the Nineties Called with Christine Taylor and David Lasher.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Hey, everybody, welcome back to Hey Dude, the Nineties Called podcast.
I am one of your co hosts, David.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Hi David, I'm Christine.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Long time we did Nineties Come we made it. Yes.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
First of all, we should thank all of our listeners
who came to Nineties Con to meet us in person
and to tell us how much they're enjoying the podcast.
How wasn't that so great?
Speaker 2 (00:29):
That was unreal? I mean, honestly, the weekend was so
full of positivity and good vibes. You know that everyone
was so happy to be there. Everyone at That's for
Entertainment took care of us so well. And then seeing
all of you, all of our friends, I mean, you know,
I can't even describe who was there.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
But yeah, it was like, first of all, I think
like the way I was describing it was, it's not
even it's not just nostalgia for the fans who are
coming to see all of us and the different people
from different shows and bands and that they grew up
watching and loving, But it is nostalgia for us because
(01:11):
we're seeing all these people that we worked with ten
twenty thirty years ago. We haven't even seen since then,
And it was just like I would be in an
elevator and I was like, oh, hey, Barry Watson, I
haven't seen you since we shot that pilot.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
House, right or Jason Larson did White Squall with I
haven't seen him since I think we wrap White Squall
because he lives in Tennessee. But yeah, it was amazing.
But my favorite part of the entire weekend was getting
the Hey Dude cast together for dinner with the Sabrina cast.
That was a dream that was so great. Everyone got
(01:45):
along so well. I mean, you and Melissa are now
best friends.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
I already did her podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Yes, totally, I love it.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
No, we had so many laughs and it was just
I mean, the weekend was non stop after love. It
was just filled with so much joy and really like,
I've never had an opportunity like that where, you know,
I was saying to fans that I was meeting. You
work on something that you either do a TV show
(02:15):
or a movie or something like that, and then you're
in your little bubble. Then it goes out to the world.
You might see a review, you might run into people
who will say, hey, I love doing that every now
and again, but to get to hear people's stories about Hey,
I would go with my dad. I went with my
dad to see that movie or anytime it comes on,
(02:36):
like my grandma and I watched that. It was just
heartwarming and emotional and just being with you guys. It's
just my heart was full. I think you said that.
I think you sent me a texting my heart is full.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
And it really is.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Yeah, we you know, like we interview a lot of
musicians who like get to like be right in front
of their audience and feel the love, and as actors
don't really get to do that, right. We just were
on like a sad somewhere, especially in Tucson. But yeah,
I have people coming up to me. A girl said
to me. My brother and I never got along about
(03:09):
anything until we sat down and watched Hey dude, and
like it literally like bonded us.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
It's yeah, it's so sweet, right, you get to just
hear these personal stories and connect. It was just it's
really like connection and it was just very very special.
So hopefully that's the first of you know, many others
that will do together and you know, with and we
got to get more of our cast to come to
(03:36):
like John Galcan would have loved it. You know, it
just was great. We got to get Dave Brisbane to
one of these two.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Yeah, but you and I talked about the number of
people that told us they loved the podcast. I was
blown away. I mean it was three days for me,
three days straight of people telling me how they can't
wait for Monday morning and how much the podcast means
to them, and that was so special to me. Yes, yes, okay,
(04:04):
we got a guest here. We just got a little
note in the chat that our guest is here. So
let us welcome in our incredible guest today, Joey McIntyre.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Hello, Hi, thank you for joining us.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Yeah, thanks for being here.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
This is so exciting, so exciting to meet you.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
I'm I like to be met now, I'm nice to meet.
How many episodes have you guys done?
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Oh my god, you might stump us right there.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
It's been a little over a year, right, yes.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
One a week, one a week. Congrats.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Yes, yes, we're easy.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
I can imagine. Seriously though, you know what I mean, Like,
I'm sure a lot of I mean, who hasn't thought
I'll do a podcast, But like it's easier said than done, right, So.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Well, the irony too for me is like I never thought, hey,
let's do a podcast. David called about doing this, which
I thought was a great idea, and David and I
did we did a TV show together, you know, in
our teen years back in the nineties, and so it
was sort of I was like, this is an amazing
way to like reconnect with David, you know, talk about
(05:16):
that period of time in our lives. And it has
been nothing short of delightful. Like it's because we get
to meet First of all, we've had so many of
our friends on, but we get to meet incredible entertainers
and people and performers that we beloved, people that we
get to spend you know, forty five minutes our an
hour with and it's so wonderful. Yeah, so thank you
(05:39):
for doing this with us.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Yeah, this is my favorite hour of the week, I
gotta say. And like they're they're like last week that
Matthew and Gunnar Nelson. You know, we love their music,
but their story was profoundly influential to me, the history
of their family. Like you have long hair, no, no kind.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Of bobbish, right, Like I love it.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
You know, they look.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Great, they lived five minutes away. But their family history
was I had no idea. Their grandparents were Ozzie and Harriet,
their dad was Ricky Nelson, all this stuff, and like
you learn so much about people, which that's you know wild.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
First of all, Ricky Nelson is enough, But I didn't
know their freaking.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Grand Ozzie and Harriet. Yeah, like a radio show one
of them.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
I know that name. Yeah, from the nineties and from
the eighties. Really the New kids, we have this wonderful
thing of like that. You know, we were late eighties nineties,
so we get to play both decades.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Yeah, you dude, you were definitely my high school experience.
Your music. I was just listening to it all now.
And by the way, the new the new song is
incredible kids.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
But let's let's go back to the beginning. Yeah, Christine,
go back to the Boston roots and how he found
the band.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Yeah, no, you tell. First of all, we get little
notes here, you know, before we get a guest, do
we get some bullet points. I love to get online
and start digging around and watching videos and interviews and
doing a little more. But right, what was shock? What stood?
What was shocking to me and stood out to me.
It was how young you were when you auditioned, Like
(07:25):
you were twelve or thirteen.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
Yeah, I was twelve.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Yeah that doesn't see.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
You know. The thing is is like it wasn't like
a big, you know, cattle call American idol ish thing
at all. You know that. The the big draw for
me was that I knew there was a connection with
(07:53):
New Addition, who was the coolest group going at the time,
you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
Their album from Boston and they also Boston Boys.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeh yeah yeah, and you know, we
all so I was the only guy in the group
that they didn't The other four guys were from Dorchester,
which is basically it's in Boston. You know, Massachusetts is
so small that a lot of people would say, oh,
(08:24):
I'm from Boston. You're like where they're like Springfield. It's like,
you know, from Boston. But so we were, you know,
I was Dorchester and Jamaica Plane were connected, but like
their world's apart, and you know, I had a you know,
nice little, as I say, community theater career going on
(08:45):
at the moment, you know what I mean. And my yeah,
my family, my mom was into it. It's you know,
So I was I was doing that and having fun,
and someone called. I was doing a after school program
at a at a public school and uh, because my mom,
after nine kids, finally got a job, so she she,
(09:08):
you know, an.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
Outside job, nine nine kids.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
I was the younger. I'm the youngest of nine.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Yeah, wow, your mom should your parents should get like metals.
That's insane.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
Yeah, well, or yeah they were or just that's called
being Catholic.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
It's called being a staunch Catholic. He just kept going
until stuff started falling out, you know what I mean.
You know, my mother was a trip a God bless
her and her one big getaway. Her big getaway was
this community theater four blocks away from the house. And
so that was my first you know encounter and love
(09:50):
of the theater. And and I was doing this after
school you know program, which was really you know, everything
seems random until you put it all together. And someone called.
They were calling around schools to look for little white
kids who could sing and dance, which there weren't a
lot of us, you know, around, so they're like, yeah, oh,
(10:11):
but this is kid Joe. You know, he sings you know,
and the choir the church was like right down the block.
And you know, I was involved in this other neighborhood
Children's Theater of Boston, and we got together in more
red shirts with our names on it and sang songs
and raised money to take a trip every year. And
so I got the call and I was like, yeah,
(10:32):
I'm all set, like where like door, just yeah, I'm good.
Then they called back again. It's so funny because you
remember little things like I remember getting the phone number
and looking down. There's a snapshirt of like looking down
having the number in that public school and being like, no,
(10:53):
I'm good, you know. But then we found out that
Maurice Starr, who was putting this band together, produced and
kind of put New Edition on the map, so you know,
and that you know, the new Editions for you know, Candy.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
Up of course, you know, you know eighties classic, eighties classic.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Everyone has someone that precedes them, right, Oh, like you
know Backstreet saw you guys, Yeah, yeah, in sincts saw
Backstreet and ninety degrees. Whatever goes on and on and on.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
But right, I mean we we we love, as they say,
giving New Edition their flowers. I mean we we it's
it's just our it's our offering, you know what I mean.
We go to that place like as many times as
we can because they've been so gracious over the years.
Donnie just gave presented them with the NAACP Award Hall
(11:57):
of Fame and was able to give that to them,
and you know, you know, we still pinch ourselves because
like now, we're like family. A couple of years ago,
we performed on the AMAS together, which was I cried
for you know, weeks literally literally it was crazy. So
I said, well, why don't I audition. I'll audition, and
(12:19):
I went and I went up to Roxbury where another
town in Boxton where my parents were from. The funny
thing is it's a sign of the times because it's
nineteen eighty five and I'm just like, you know, hey, Dad,
I'm I'm going to audition for this thing. Where is it,
I'd say Roxbury or Dudley. I mean, yeah, this woman's
(12:41):
gonna pick me up, all right, Well be careful, you
know you know what I'm saying. It's like and there
I go, like up in this dilapidated brick building and
we all have the same story of meeting Maurice and
he's this big bear of a guy, and I sang
a Na King Cole song, you know, and any but
(13:01):
I love Hell is full.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Yeah you knew that.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
That's pretty cool because I, you know, my dad was again,
I was the youngest of nine, so that's the music.
He didn't grow up in the sixties and seventies. That
was you know, the standards were so any and and
in more East fast and he's like, okay, you're good.
And two weeks later, I was in a studio recording
a song with you know, the four other guys, like, yeah,
(13:33):
it's you know. The funny thing is is you could
get five different answers to the question you just asked.
You know what I'm saying, which is, you know, it's
it's endless, you know that the kind of like, for instance,
like Jordan was on Lance Bass's podcast recently, and because Jordan,
(13:58):
you know, doesn't say much, and he's in a group
with Donnie, who can talk with the best of them,
and then this guy too, who can you know, likes
to share. You know, I heard you know, the things
I never heard of his backstory, you know what I mean.
And Danny and Jordan were like in dueling, breakdance cruise,
you know, and like, you know, Danny was like, I
(14:20):
don't want to do it, but like, oh Jordan's going
to be in the New Kids, that I'm going to
be in the New Kids, all that kind of stuff.
So it's a rich it's a rich history. And I
certainly had my path and yeah, you know, we all
it's all on the I point back to our parents.
You know, our parents just came from a generation of
working class hard you know pull you you know, from
(14:44):
the bootstraps, like go after it, you know, have faith,
you know, selfless. You know, they all raised big families
and we came from that stock, you know, and you
know we hopes and dreams and you know, a lot
of fun and we got lucky along the way and
(15:05):
made the most of it.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
But so you did later than that was great, Thank
you so much for coming out. We got, we got
what we need. But so so you so too. You
get you you you sing love you. Two weeks later
you're recording, but you're twelve still or thirteen at this point.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
You're twelve, twelve and a half.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
How old were the other guys? Were they in high school?
Speaker 3 (15:29):
They were? They are? I always say that they were
like four years older than me, but Jordan was actually
only three. I mean I think he's under three years okay,
but they were teenagers. Big difference between twelve and like
sixteen and Joey.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
They were already in the band, right, They had.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
Disgother since they were five. They went to school.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Oh, so you were you were the one newcomer.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
I was the new kid.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Yeah, that must have been. I don't know. That's hard
to be the new kid.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
Yea, Guys, I'll talk to you all day about how
hard it was for me. No, I mean it was, yes,
it was. It was all of that. It was all
of that. It was not easy. It was not easy.
It was not easy. There were nights that I would
go home in that car. I wanted A year later,
I wanted to leave. And then you know, Donnie got
(16:21):
me on the phone and did a song and dance
and I hung in there and it was not easy.
It was not not easy.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Did you have like you talked about, you know, because
your parents came from a you know, that generation of
like this is your like you're going to stick this out,
like you're like you know we.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
No, No, it wasn't that no, because it wasn't this
ticket out. You know, it wasn't this thing it was
like it was you know, I mean I did come
from that like my dad, you know, even after new kids,
you know, the first time around, you know, he called
me and he'd be like, you know, get a job,
you know, and you know that that didn't mean something
(17:09):
fancy if that meant I was raking leaves down the street, right,
you like, get up and get after it and face
the day. You know. That's always important to him, you know.
And my mother, you know, wanted me to be a priest.
So as long as I wasn't sinning then you know.
So it wasn't it wasn't this like you know, but
(17:30):
you know, hanging there and you know, and you know,
life is life. I think it was. I think a
lot of people go through that, you know what I mean,
I think in school, in high school. I I that's the.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
Toughest time to get through. You know, David, You've got
a thirteen year old daughter right now, and it's just
a tough time.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Yeah sure, any of.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
This, Yeah, yeah, it's it's it's tricky. So I I
it kind of it just showed up for me in
that way, you know.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
And then all of a sudden, now you're in the studio,
you're recording. I don't know if you're helping write or
but how did you get into that? You know how
grueling that that lifestyle is.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
Well, you know, you go after it and you know,
the first thing I did was like sing ad libs
on this song stop It Girl, and it was I'll
be around you know, So that was what I was singing.
But in the back, I'm like, how the hell. I
don't know. It's probably from videos, right, you know, you
(18:37):
know in the eighties, like you just saw that. So
I just faked it, you know, I got the headphones
on it, and I'm like, okay, I guess this is
how it works on I'll be Around you know.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
It's like, oh my god, Joey, I was going to
ask you who sang the high parts on Please Don't
Go Girl and I'll Be Loving You? But now I
know who did it.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
No, that's the two different guys. So I sang lead
and Please Don't Go Girl, and then Jordan's sang lead
on I'll Be like in You Forever. But he was
the falsetto guy. I was the natural. My voice hadn't
changed yet, so.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Right, you guys said, I mean that is high octaves
over there.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
Yeah, no, I mean, yeah, one one is pre pubescent,
the other one is just a really good classic false set.
All that Jordan had that we.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Were like, so funny. Your voice hadn't changed yet so
you could do yeah, yeah, and were you able to
keep up with the guys as far as like the
number of hours and you know, we talked to other
musicians about the you know, the recording first of all,
the writing, the recording, the rehearsal for the tour, and
(19:42):
then the touring and rinse and repeat. It's people had
I mean, we talked to Lance Bask you know, people
said it was it was grueling for years and there
was really no breaks. And you were a young kid.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
Yeah, you could see that. My I had my A
Makeshifts high school graduation in the in the basement bar
of the hard Rock Cafe in London and he took
a picture of me. I don't know where the hell
it is. Maybe it's it's too painful. I'm white as
(20:17):
a ghost, I got dark circles under my eyes, and
I'm like, you know, you know, but what are you
gonna do you're in the you know, you're in the
biggest band in the world. My dad would try to
sit me down and you know, you know, he would say,
take five minutes for yourself, and you'd be like, what,
you know, I'm seventeen, Like what are you talking about me?
(20:41):
You know, I got my first girlfriend who's in la.
I'm on the phone till five in the morning. You know,
it's it's not normal. It's not normal. It's not normal.
And you know, you know the thing is, we know,
for instance, you could have the best upbringing, great parents
(21:04):
and go down a path of darkness and addiction, right,
you know what I mean, people can do it all
the right things, you know, and then you could be
in these situations that you know, bad decisions could be
easier to get at. You know, we were able to
avoid that. I mean, you know, luckily. You know the guys,
(21:25):
the older guys, they were just you know, into girls.
They weren't into drinking, they weren't into drugs, and so
I kind of dodged a bullet there.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
And you know other too, right, you had you had
a bunch of Yeah, having that.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
Was like you know, that support and also keeping you
in check too. You know, for better or for worse?
You know, how was it?
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Well no, because you know we're like jumping to how
easily you just like you said, it was really hard,
but you suddenly were put like you know, transplanted almost
into this lifestyle. And you know, David kind of kind
of you know, talked about what that schedule looked like,
but what did it really look like? For like, how
(22:15):
did you graduate school? Like were you trying? Were you
in between getting little pockets of school in. I also
want to know like the dance rehearsals and all.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
Of that, all that you know I did. I finished
ninth grade and then the summer after ninth grade, my
freshman year, we got that big tour with Tiffany.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Yes could have been so beautiful, right, what's that Tiffany?
That song could have been or something she had could
have been.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
Yeah, she'd appreciate that. That was like the second album
you know what I mean, you you fall. Yes, So
we had a single please Don't Go Girl was getting heat.
You have to have all these things, you know, catch fire.
(23:08):
So the single was going up the charts, and we
got this amazing tour. We went from like performing for
nobody a couple of you know shows in Boston too,
being in front of fifteen thousand girls like oh night.
So that exploded. And we were on tour for the
Summer and the Sun that was the summer tour, and
and and we were doing a couple of other dates
(23:29):
here and there, and I remember being in a hotel
room and calling my mom like at the end of
August and going, Mom, I I'm I'm not I'm not
going to school, like we're gonna keep torn and she
was like what, you know, she was clueless, you know
what I mean, Like it didn't matter to her that
we had like a hit record and we were, you know,
on tour, so we got a to that. We got
(23:54):
this really nice guy sore year. I even like took
my mid terms back at school, which is hilarious because
I wanted that experience, but now like we're blowing up.
And it was an all boys school, so it wasn't
you know, you know, so I could there was some
you know, it took my mid terms tenth grade was whatever,
(24:19):
eleventh grade, I mean, my junior year it was nuts.
And then by school was like.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly, Well that that makes sense. You
get the two you know, you get kind of inch
towards it just to get be able to get that degree,
but you.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
Knew exactly it was, Yes, it.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Was just getting through it for mom.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
Right, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
So your first big tour was opening for Tiffany. Yeah, okay,
and then what was your first first hit song where
you were like, okay, now now we're the openers.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
Well, I mean, please Don't Go Girl was our first hit.
It was a top ten record, and then and then
right Stuff came that was our number one, number three,
that went to number three. Uh. We started touring in
clubs like on our own, playing playing clubs.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
All around the country like Tour of Us, yes, yea, yeah, okay.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
Yeah, and then that next summer it flipped so Tiffany
opened for us and we were the headlines. That's how
that worked. Wow.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
Wow the music industry right, how quickly hid.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
Yeah, and so by then by then, you know, we
had I'll Be Loving You Forever was our first number
one record, and then Hanging Tough and Cover Girl and
on and on and on. Right.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
Yeah, for our listeners, you guys had two number one albums,
which is an incredible feat. Two number one Billboard albums. Yeah,
but do you guys feel like you started this sort
of genre. I mean, you know in the early nineties,
you know, grunge was coming in, but like there was
(26:15):
also how did you feel when Backstreet came out? Were
you guys like they're stealing our rap?
Speaker 1 (26:22):
No?
Speaker 3 (26:23):
I mean I think we had enough.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Right, no threat, No, we we knew.
Speaker 3 (26:35):
Again you point to a New Addition, you know what
I mean. You can't claim any of this stuff. You
know what I'm saying. It's in as much as you know,
New Addition was such the jump off for us that
you know, Yeah, of course New Addition was was modeled
after the Jackson five, you know what I mean. And
(26:57):
you know then before that was the Temptation in the
four Tops, and you know, of course the Osmond's had
such a you know, we.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
Could go back to the Beatles too. I mean as
far as the Beatles, yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
It depends on if you call them a boy band
or not, but certainly takeaway you know, the all time
great writing team of Lennon and McCartney. You know, you'd
still just have a bit boy band, you know what
I mean. And they acted a lot, you know, so
much of the Beatles was off stage you know, and
and their their charisma and whatnot. And I think a
(27:30):
big part of that is, you know, is what a
boy band is.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
You know, the fans can say, oh, I love John
because of his thoughtfulness, I love I love Paul, and
same with you guys. Like everyone had their favorite sure,
and they felt like they were a part of it,
they were invested in it.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
Yeah, yeah, I mean that's that's the uniqueness of a band,
is just something about it, you know what I mean,
It's just it's just locked in our Americana, you know,
Western hemisphere, you know, fantasy, you know, it's just what happens.
And yeah, so you know, and then by the time
(28:08):
back Street came along, you know, it was the nineties,
we weren't together anymore, the new kids, you know, it
was a time of you know, we all kind of
doing our solo projects, figuring out what, you know, the
rest of our lives are going to be.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
Like, you know, how did you guys walk away from
the band though at the height of it, Why, it wasn't.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
No, it wasn't at the height of it. It was
we stopped torn in like ninety two ish. We decided
to do one more album, but it was really just
for us. It was the album like we always wanted
to make. It was. But you know, back then, you know,
no social media. Now the same guy can like a
(28:51):
Tailor Swift song in a Nirvana song, you know what
I'm saying. Back then, you know how it was. You
had your radio station, you had your genre, u you
had your what you liked. But then also there were
the deciders. Back then, there were the curators, and you know,
the music scene changed. It wasn't pop anymore. It was dark,
(29:14):
it was heavy, it was grunge, and they took over.
There wasn't any room for pop music. Pop music was
rock and roll. Pop music was that punk angst. You know,
they took over. And back then there was only one MTV,
there was one local station. There was all that stuff,
you know what I mean. And so the landscape had changed,
(29:37):
and back then that's what it was. Now there's no
none of those shifts anymore, for better or for worse.
And so back then and plus we were growing up,
we were done. We made one more album. We did
like a small sort of you know, theater like pre tour,
what are we going to do? And then we just
(29:58):
we knew it was we knew it was time. We
knew it was time. Yeah, and that was in ninety four,
ninety four.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
And at that point, you know, I would imagine each
of you you started to have your own interests and
things you wanted to do, and you moved into acting.
You started to do you got some great acting jobs.
I'm gonna fangirl out a bit for a second, because
I am a huge musical theater lover. Yeah, and I
know I saw you as ro in Wicked on Broadway.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (30:29):
I think I've seen that show like because I had
a little girl who's now almost twenty two, and we
would see it almost every year like as a like
like as a birthday thing. And so how was that
transition for you? Was it something you knew that you had,
Like did you because you said you grew up doing
community theater, like, did you know you always still wanted
to act and kind of give that a go?
Speaker 3 (30:52):
Yes, I mean I would quietly do different projects. I
mean there was a there was a huge arrested development
saying here. You know, I I all my teen years,
you know, in my very early twenties were just wrapped
up in this train that was nu kids on the
(31:12):
block and you know, to come down off of that.
There were definitely some down in the DWN times, you
know what I mean, like what am I gonna do?
You know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Who am I?
Speaker 3 (31:26):
Right?
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Who am I?
Speaker 3 (31:28):
What do I like to do? It's all it was fuzzy,
you know, certainly a lot of what I call my
lost weekend, you know, going out every night, partying, drinking.
You know. Again, luckily I was in my own way,
you know, a lightweight. I also was the youngest of nine,
(31:50):
so you know, I had seven older sisters like keeping
an eye on me and what are you doing? You know,
So I'm blessed in that way. But yeah, I mean
I knew I always like I'm a theater kid, you
know what I'm saying, Like, I know what it means
(32:11):
to have the boards under your feet and you're up there,
you know, telling a story and you know, going inward
as well as you know, trying to connect, you know.
So I just knew it just was something that was
authentic to me that I didn't have to however, yeah,
you still got to get out of bed and go
(32:32):
after it. And you know that I had my own path,
you know. Back to that.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
And probably your experience in New Kids helped you feel
comfortable on a Broadway stage because I can't I mean,
going right before the curtain opens and you're the lead
in Wicked, I can't imagine the the emotion.
Speaker 3 (32:58):
Yeah, I mean I I had done actually right before Wicked,
like a year or so ago. Actually, I did my
first New York show. Was was called Tick Tick Boom.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
It was Yes, of course, that was amazing, amazing.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
Yeah, Netflix and Lin Manuel did an amazing job at
the movie on Netflix. So so check that out.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
It's incredible. It's a incredible story.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
Yeah, and on on on on stage. It's a three
person show. I played the lead and I'm on stage
for an hour and a half singing thirteen songs. And
it's a Jonathan Larson story who wrote Rent, and after
Rent blew up and he unfortunately passed away, like the
opening night of Rent. That whole story. Yeah, they took
that this show got a really good writer and kind
(33:56):
of reworked it. And that was my first show. I
was in the original production. I was the second guy
in on that. But so you know, part of my
point is like for Wicked, like, yes, I was one
of the leads, but you know, when when you have
a Dina Menzel and you know, you know, the two
you can come. You know, I like playing, you know,
(34:22):
but it's amazing. It's amazing to you know, I made
my Broadway debut like singing every night with a Dina
Menzel who had just won the Tony for that role.
So yeah, it was, it was. It was epic, you know,
and it's more epic, you know, looking back on it now,
you know you know how it is right, you know,
(34:43):
in the moment, we're just doing it and yeah, this
is cool. But like, am I doing okay? Like now
that recently, like I looked to tape someone you know,
you're not supposed to video, but there's a couple of
videos and I'm like, I was really freaking good good knowing.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
That none of us ever say that, but you know.
Speaker 3 (35:04):
You should say that, you know. I had like a
bit I was like, how do we share like, you know,
content and all that. I wanted to do this thing
where I want to say I got a big announcement coming, guys,
I got a big announcement, you know, and the fans
are going to think, oh, what's what's you know, and
maybe a few days later, like I say, you know,
tune in and then just the idea of like tuning
(35:25):
in and saying, hey, thanks for coming on. I just
wanted to make an announcement. I'm very talented. I'm very talented.
I bring a lot to the table and I add
to whatever I'm a part of.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
Thank the best attitude. Honestly, you're as insecure they you'd.
Speaker 3 (35:45):
Have taken me fifty years man, But that's true. And
of course we could all say that yes you know,
but but but it's so corny. And that's what I
hate about that. It's so corny. But it would get
the most likes of any thing I've ever done because
it's honest and real. It's real.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
It's real.
Speaker 3 (36:04):
Yes, it's so real and it's so true. But like,
but you can follow that with like it took me
that long.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
You could follow that statement with but I might never
work again and never goes away. That's honest as well.
Like I know how child that I am, but there's
so many things out of my control in this business
which is so crazy that I you know.
Speaker 3 (36:28):
But are you yes? Yes?
Speaker 2 (36:31):
So then you went I listen.
Speaker 1 (36:32):
I know.
Speaker 2 (36:33):
Donnie also uh has had an amazing acting career, but
then you went on to Boston Public. You did all
this uh in front of the camera work. How was
that transition?
Speaker 1 (36:46):
You know.
Speaker 3 (36:49):
Again to get continue this corny? You know, the universe
takes care of us, you know, a long in the way,
like you know, you know Boston Public. Yeah, I always
say I could count of maybe maybe I'm going on
the secondhand of like the five auditions that I knocked
(37:14):
it out of the park and then the other two
hundred I wanted to jump out the window, you know
what I'm saying. I was wicked. I came in there
like I own the joint, you know what I mean.
Boston Public. I was in for a day, you know showbiz.
You know it's like back then, you know, the reality stuff.
It was sort of like frowned on.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
I was.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
I was in town for one day to do Hollywood Squares.
Now I'd rather be in town, you know, doing an
arc on like you know, you know what I'm saying.
You don't, guys what I'm saying. What it's in front
of you. So and I had I got an audition
for David Kelly and Boston Public. And I went in there.
Speaker 4 (37:59):
And in.
Speaker 3 (38:00):
In two days, I read for the casting I was
doing stuff in that room that like getting up, taking
my jacket off, putting it on the back. I was
doing all kinds of stuff and the girl was like,
oh my god, you know you could just eat it
was you almost picked up the phone like when I
was in the room and like show the producers. So
then so then I read for the producers later that
(38:22):
day and the next day I'm in a room with
David Kelly and like it was like an out of
body experience, like I'm you know, sitting on the table,
you know, doing let me tell you, I'm playing a teacher.
It's like that's the kind of thing. So but to
your point, I was in that situation. I was green.
(38:44):
I was green, but the producers took care of me.
You know. The first three episodes they didn't give me much.
But I had like two lines in the in the
first episode and I was Tito, but that was my
role too. I was a new young priacher. So it worked.
Speaker 1 (39:03):
But how did you feel? Because David and I talk
about this all the time, you know, and we were
seasoned actors, you know what I mean. We did our
own series and then we came to LA and we
would get these guest spots and the like. It is
so hard to go into a show as a guest star,
like you feel like, oh, where do I fit in?
(39:24):
They could fire me at any moment, And did you
have that feeling of like, oh, they're going to find
me out? Oh it's or did you feel really good
because you knew you earned it because you kicked me
such a There.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
Was definitely that. There was definitely that they technically only
had me for three episodes, but everyone was like you
be you know, picktop. That was an easy pick up,
you know. Then they signed me to like half the
season and by like episode ten. What the funny thing
(39:58):
is is what I would eat? You remember the actor
five a Sprinkle, Oh, I mean he was like from
you know, he was on there and I was telling
the story about we were in like a little scene.
It was me and uh Johnny Abrams, who was playing
(40:23):
the other the other young teacher, and we're in there
and he's this older guy but like he's a legend,
and he's like, we're going to you know, I said
something like he paused, and I said like come in
or something. I gave him a direction, you know what
I'm saying, Like I didn't no, no, right, which I
(40:43):
kind of knew better, but I said it like we
got along, He's like, and he goes, uh, there's a
new director in town. Right. So I started doing this
fiber sprinkle imitation and the writers saw that and they
wrote for me, know right, So you know basically I
got signed for the you know, the season and it
(41:06):
worked out, you know, and I did one season and
then then I did, you know, then I went and
did Wicked, and you know, of course, you know, looking back,
you know, oh I would have tweaked it here, or
would have tweaked it there. I would have done a
little bit more with that is that? And I was like,
but I did the.
Speaker 2 (41:23):
Best I could, you know, right, I mean, for your
first TV show to be written by David Kelly, it's
such a gift. I wouldn't you wouldn't tweak anything, just
say the lines because.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
Yeah, I know, I know, it was cool. It was cool.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
The favorite in our house is The Heat, which is
such a good funny. Is that movie? And how much
fun did you have? And tell us a little bit
about that?
Speaker 3 (41:51):
So fun I do call it? I said, it's it's
a modern day classic. It's the closest we can get
to a to a classic nowadays. And you know hometown.
You know, I'm with these like improv ninjas, you know
what I mean. That's dinner scene with all of us.
And what I kept thinking is Jane Curtin was in
(42:13):
the scene. Legend Jane Curtin myself. If Jane Curtin doesn't
have to say anything, I don't either, you know what
I'm saying. I'm gonna take my shots, but like I
don't need to make a meal out of anything. Jane
Curtin is in the scene, She's not jumping in, you
know what I'm saying. So it was so funny, so
(42:35):
fun I basically got that job because one of the
Jamie Dembo, who was one of the actors in that scene,
she's an amazing writer and actor and comedian, and she
did this take off for funny or die back in
(42:56):
the day of instead of mad Men, it was mad
Men Massachusetts m a men.
Speaker 4 (43:01):
Oh, And it was this filthy, filthy like Nceed seventeen
or whatever it is, like, there was filthy version of
Boston Madmen, and it.
Speaker 2 (43:12):
Was with the full on accents, probably right full on accents.
Speaker 3 (43:16):
It's worth googling. Oh, definitely I got and I was like, actually,
Michael O'Malley, the actor Michael Maleley called me. He was like, Bro,
I'm the face of Time Warner right now. I can't
do this? Can you do this? So I walk in
and like again, it was an opportunity, you know, in
that world, the comedy world, they were like, oh, this
(43:36):
kid's funny. Like he's like whatever, I just got it.
Sometimes you just get it. It was hilarious. We did
two of them. I got more calls from that than ever,
and I kind of got cast from that. I mean,
I went in to audition, but it was me and
Nate Quadry Funny Funny Boss, Funny Factory. Yeah, and he's
(43:59):
he was one of the I think we were brothers
in the Heat. He was in that Skid as well.
Bill Burr, who is now a great friend at mine. Yeah.
And Bro, I mean, like a real movie, a studio
movie in my hometown. That's the first time I got
a residual check that was more than what I made
(44:20):
for the movie.
Speaker 1 (44:21):
That was like, yeah, that's a big time, big times. Yeah,
it's amazing how you do something like that. And I,
you know, I'm thinking of another example. I feel like
when you know, justin Timberlake was went on SNL and
was funny, that got him exactly, it just changed his career,
(44:44):
you know, it just started getting him work as an actor.
And so when you get a chance to do something
sort of low stakes like that and it blows up,
is so cool.
Speaker 3 (44:54):
I got more.
Speaker 1 (44:54):
Definitely, I have to I have to check that out.
Speaker 2 (45:07):
Can we talk about the new album and if there's
possibly like a tour coming up.
Speaker 3 (45:13):
It's very possible. It's actually happening, David, Yeah, it's happening.
It's happening.
Speaker 1 (45:20):
Not only is it possible, this is.
Speaker 3 (45:22):
A special announcement for dudes. Oh so dudes for the nineties.
Big announcement. There's a new Kids tour happening.
Speaker 2 (45:31):
Everybody all kids.
Speaker 3 (45:32):
Yeah, No, we have a tour happening this summer. That's
very exciting and we have special guests Paul Abdul and
DJ Jazzy Jeff. Oh wow, it's a big deal and
that's happening. Our new single Kids is out and our
new album comes out May seventeenth, so it's really good.
(45:53):
We hadn't made a full album in a long time,
and I basically Donnie wrote one half of it. I
wrote the other half of it. The whole groups, you know,
very much involved. And it's not easy to make an
album these days when everybody's in five different places. But
we made it happen and it's we're very excited about it.
Speaker 2 (46:15):
And it's called Still Kids, Still Kids. Yeah, and you
all have kids, and you probably I was going to say,
speaking of kids, what do they think of you?
Speaker 3 (46:26):
Like?
Speaker 1 (46:27):
How does that like when they go regular Dad.
Speaker 3 (46:33):
I'm playing piano, I was singing, It's like, dad, can
you shut the door please?
Speaker 1 (46:38):
You know, a lack of interest that our children.
Speaker 3 (46:42):
Have, and what we do is a sound size.
Speaker 2 (46:46):
It keeps everyone humble though, right, yeah, kind of when
you're at home, take out the trash man, you know.
Speaker 3 (46:53):
Yeah yeah, my, I mean, you know, not funny enough,
but my, my, my old This son is sixteen and
he's a phenomenal musician. So he inspire it's so funny,
like he legit inspires me to just sit down at
(47:15):
the piano. I'm playing more and more piano and writing
music like on my own, collaborating of course, but like
he's playing all the time, guitar, piano. You know, we're
inspired by our kids. You know. It's like my daughter
is a fantastic gymnast and the way she shows up
and my youngest son, Reese, just you know, I never
(47:38):
knew that would be an experience, you know that you
could actually, you know, because we're supposed to inspire our kids,
you know, but it's like it's the other way around,
you know.
Speaker 1 (47:47):
Yeah, it really is nowadays, right with I mean, it's
pretty amazing. Do you think do you see yourself from
writing with your son and doing music together at some point?
Speaker 3 (47:59):
You know, he's so good on his own. I have
so much respect for him that I don't I think
about it because like you'll just sit at the piano
and like start playing stuff, and I'm like, I hope
he's writing a song over those chors, you know, and
I'm like, the's none of my business, you.
Speaker 1 (48:17):
Know, Yes, having to just like lay off right, that
must be so hard.
Speaker 3 (48:23):
And you know, I don't know how cool that is
to like I would love to, you know, you know,
but he's got his own path and we we have
sung all over the years. I mean he's like he
played piano for me at Carnegie Hall last year.
Speaker 1 (48:39):
It was like, oh my god, I wanted to ask
you about the Carnegie Hall show. That is I mean
that to me is like life could be over after that.
Speaker 3 (48:50):
Right, I thought I'm retiring.
Speaker 1 (48:54):
How was that?
Speaker 3 (48:56):
And yeah it was? It was everything. The cool thing
is that, like speaking of right sizing, you know, the
real gift was like, you know, twenty eight hundred people
and one of the most famous, you know, venues in
the world, and it felt like someone's you know, living room.
It was because these these fans you know, have known me,
(49:18):
you know, my whole life. The fans their family. I
mean it's really you know, and and they're celebrating you know,
themselves by coming to New York and this fun night
and like let's do this, you know. And I had
you know, an amazing bunch of guests, you know, including
the new kids, and you know, I had them all
(49:38):
come out one by. Donnie came out once, you know first,
and literally the roof exploded, like as you know, so
lots of different moments that I couldn't have It couldn't
have gone any better.
Speaker 1 (49:55):
So wonderful.
Speaker 3 (49:56):
Yeah, yeah, that's cool.
Speaker 2 (49:58):
Well, Joey, this has been amazing. We gotta let you go.
Speaker 1 (50:02):
Lan By, thank you so much, so you're.
Speaker 3 (50:06):
You guys got to come to the show, so we have.
We're playing the Forum July fifth, David, if you're in
l A.
Speaker 2 (50:15):
Uh, yeah, dude, I would love to come.
Speaker 3 (50:17):
Come on through. And then Christina, are you going to
be in New York during the summer or what.
Speaker 1 (50:22):
When in the summer, because we did that's usually travel time.
But maybe yeah, I.
Speaker 3 (50:27):
Think we're Oh, we play, we played Jones Beach.
Speaker 1 (50:35):
We'll be around in August for sure.
Speaker 3 (50:37):
Look at I mean, look at the it's all on
our on our website, but look it.
Speaker 1 (50:41):
Might be somewhere.
Speaker 3 (50:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (50:45):
Yeah, Joe, congrats on the new album. The new single
is amazing, and and good luck on the tour. Man,
go break a leg and enjoy it all.
Speaker 3 (50:54):
Appreciate it. Yeah, I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (50:57):
Thanks guys, thanks for chatting so great.
Speaker 3 (50:59):
You okay, okay, thanks you.
Speaker 2 (51:02):
I mean, I love this hour we spent together.
Speaker 1 (51:05):
I just it's that to me, like just I always
love when we get yes to you know, when he
just said, not to be too corny, but I'd love
to say this and I'd love to be able to
say this about myself and like the pure you know,
the love and the joy and the being able to
look back and you know, realize how critical you were
(51:28):
of yourself, and now, you know, at fifty years old,
to be able to look back and say, oh god,
I was good.
Speaker 2 (51:34):
Yes, none of us ever want to say that, but
my gosh, they were. I mean, I remember when New
Kids came out. I didn't know that kind of fame existed. Yeah,
it was like intense and it was for the time
the music really connected with people. Our age. I was,
you know, most eighth ninth I don't know what grade
I was.
Speaker 1 (51:54):
Well yeah, yeah, yeah, like you said, it was like
late eighties into the nineties, so it was exactly our
high school you know that.
Speaker 2 (52:02):
Yeah, I'm all had. I mean, it sounds like Joe
had a great family around him, which is always the
through line to many people we speak to. But they
all are great, well adjusted, kind, grateful, working, successful adults. Yeah,
and that to me is just awesome.
Speaker 1 (52:20):
Yeah. Yeah, that was really always fascinating, always fascinating stories
and what he was saying. I felt like at the
end about Carnegie Hall, just to kind of like bookend
our experience. When he talked about the people that came
out to support him for this show, He's like it
wasn't even like you know people, It was like family.
(52:43):
That in a way is I think what we were
talking about how nineties Cotton felt like for us, because
these are people who you know, save up their money,
they come there, they are all they're there for is
to just support us and tell us the stories. And
I just feel like to be able.
Speaker 2 (53:00):
To sort of part of their childhood or they're growing up,
it was like we were part of were We really
were part of the family.
Speaker 1 (53:08):
And you don't you just don't know that when you're
working on something in that way, you just don't, especially
for us as kids, when we were working on Hey, dude,
we had no idea so to just you know, it's
just a very very special.
Speaker 2 (53:22):
Yeah, nineties com really reminded us of that. But you know,
one thing I wanted to ask him was that Mark
Wahlberg was in New Kids at one point, and I
wanted to know, I know, and then he went on
and did his own solo career. But Mark Wahlberg was
a member with his brother Donny of New Kids and
(53:42):
then somehow dropped out.
Speaker 1 (53:45):
All right, thanks for listening everyone, Thank you so much.
Next week with a good one. A little tease someone
I have worked with. I don't know if you've worked
I won't say.
Speaker 2 (53:58):
Now you have a big It's just a tease.
Speaker 1 (54:01):
It's a tease someone I've worked with. I mean, listen,
I've been doing this for thirty plus years. I'm saying
no more. I'm saying no more.
Speaker 2 (54:09):
Great weekend, Christina. It was so much fun with you,
so fun. All right, thanks for listening, everybody. Bye, have
a great.
Speaker 1 (54:15):
Week Thanks for listening. Make sure to subscribe and give
us five stars
Speaker 2 (54:19):
And please follow us on Instagram at Hey Dude the
nineties called see you next time.
Hey Dude the Nineties Called with Christine Taylor and David Lasher.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Hey, everybody, welcome back to Hey Dude, the Nineties Called podcast.
I am one of your co hosts, David.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Hi David, I'm Christine.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Long time we did Nineties Come we made it. Yes.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
First of all, we should thank all of our listeners
who came to Nineties Con to meet us in person
and to tell us how much they're enjoying the podcast.
How wasn't that so great?
Speaker 2 (00:29):
That was unreal? I mean, honestly, the weekend was so
full of positivity and good vibes. You know that everyone
was so happy to be there. Everyone at That's for
Entertainment took care of us so well. And then seeing
all of you, all of our friends, I mean, you know,
I can't even describe who was there.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
But yeah, it was like, first of all, I think
like the way I was describing it was, it's not
even it's not just nostalgia for the fans who are
coming to see all of us and the different people
from different shows and bands and that they grew up
watching and loving, But it is nostalgia for us because
(01:11):
we're seeing all these people that we worked with ten
twenty thirty years ago. We haven't even seen since then,
And it was just like I would be in an
elevator and I was like, oh, hey, Barry Watson, I
haven't seen you since we shot that pilot.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
House, right or Jason Larson did White Squall with I
haven't seen him since I think we wrap White Squall
because he lives in Tennessee. But yeah, it was amazing.
But my favorite part of the entire weekend was getting
the Hey Dude cast together for dinner with the Sabrina cast.
That was a dream that was so great. Everyone got
(01:45):
along so well. I mean, you and Melissa are now
best friends.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
I already did her podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Yes, totally, I love it.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
No, we had so many laughs and it was just
I mean, the weekend was non stop after love. It
was just filled with so much joy and really like,
I've never had an opportunity like that where, you know,
I was saying to fans that I was meeting. You
work on something that you either do a TV show
(02:15):
or a movie or something like that, and then you're
in your little bubble. Then it goes out to the world.
You might see a review, you might run into people
who will say, hey, I love doing that every now
and again, but to get to hear people's stories about Hey,
I would go with my dad. I went with my
dad to see that movie or anytime it comes on,
(02:36):
like my grandma and I watched that. It was just
heartwarming and emotional and just being with you guys. It's
just my heart was full. I think you said that.
I think you sent me a texting my heart is full.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
And it really is.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Yeah, we you know, like we interview a lot of
musicians who like get to like be right in front
of their audience and feel the love, and as actors
don't really get to do that, right. We just were
on like a sad somewhere, especially in Tucson. But yeah,
I have people coming up to me. A girl said
to me. My brother and I never got along about
(03:09):
anything until we sat down and watched Hey dude, and
like it literally like bonded us.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
It's yeah, it's so sweet, right, you get to just
hear these personal stories and connect. It was just it's
really like connection and it was just very very special.
So hopefully that's the first of you know, many others
that will do together and you know, with and we
got to get more of our cast to come to
(03:36):
like John Galcan would have loved it. You know, it
just was great. We got to get Dave Brisbane to
one of these two.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Yeah, but you and I talked about the number of
people that told us they loved the podcast. I was
blown away. I mean it was three days for me,
three days straight of people telling me how they can't
wait for Monday morning and how much the podcast means
to them, and that was so special to me. Yes, yes, okay,
(04:04):
we got a guest here. We just got a little
note in the chat that our guest is here. So
let us welcome in our incredible guest today, Joey McIntyre.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
Hello, Hi, thank you for joining us.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Yeah, thanks for being here.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
This is so exciting, so exciting to meet you.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
I'm I like to be met now, I'm nice to meet.
How many episodes have you guys done?
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Oh my god, you might stump us right there.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
It's been a little over a year, right, yes.
Speaker 3 (04:39):
One a week, one a week. Congrats.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Yes, yes, we're easy.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
I can imagine. Seriously though, you know what I mean, Like,
I'm sure a lot of I mean, who hasn't thought
I'll do a podcast, But like it's easier said than done, right, So.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Well, the irony too for me is like I never thought, hey,
let's do a podcast. David called about doing this, which
I thought was a great idea, and David and I
did we did a TV show together, you know, in
our teen years back in the nineties, and so it
was sort of I was like, this is an amazing
way to like reconnect with David, you know, talk about
(05:16):
that period of time in our lives. And it has
been nothing short of delightful. Like it's because we get
to meet First of all, we've had so many of
our friends on, but we get to meet incredible entertainers
and people and performers that we beloved, people that we
get to spend you know, forty five minutes our an
hour with and it's so wonderful. Yeah, so thank you
(05:39):
for doing this with us.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Yeah, this is my favorite hour of the week, I
gotta say. And like they're they're like last week that
Matthew and Gunnar Nelson. You know, we love their music,
but their story was profoundly influential to me, the history
of their family. Like you have long hair, no, no kind.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Of bobbish, right, Like I love it.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
You know, they look.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Great, they lived five minutes away. But their family history
was I had no idea. Their grandparents were Ozzie and Harriet,
their dad was Ricky Nelson, all this stuff, and like
you learn so much about people, which that's you know wild.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
First of all, Ricky Nelson is enough, But I didn't
know their freaking.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Grand Ozzie and Harriet. Yeah, like a radio show one
of them.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
I know that name. Yeah, from the nineties and from
the eighties. Really the New kids, we have this wonderful
thing of like that. You know, we were late eighties nineties,
so we get to play both decades.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Yeah, you dude, you were definitely my high school experience.
Your music. I was just listening to it all now.
And by the way, the new the new song is
incredible kids.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
But let's let's go back to the beginning. Yeah, Christine,
go back to the Boston roots and how he found
the band.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Yeah, no, you tell. First of all, we get little
notes here, you know, before we get a guest, do
we get some bullet points. I love to get online
and start digging around and watching videos and interviews and
doing a little more. But right, what was shock? What stood?
What was shocking to me and stood out to me.
It was how young you were when you auditioned, Like
(07:25):
you were twelve or thirteen.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
Yeah, I was twelve.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
Yeah that doesn't see.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
You know. The thing is is like it wasn't like
a big, you know, cattle call American idol ish thing
at all. You know that. The the big draw for
me was that I knew there was a connection with
(07:53):
New Addition, who was the coolest group going at the time,
you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
Their album from Boston and they also Boston Boys.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeh yeah yeah, and you know, we
all so I was the only guy in the group
that they didn't The other four guys were from Dorchester,
which is basically it's in Boston. You know, Massachusetts is
so small that a lot of people would say, oh,
(08:24):
I'm from Boston. You're like where they're like Springfield. It's like,
you know, from Boston. But so we were, you know,
I was Dorchester and Jamaica Plane were connected, but like
their world's apart, and you know, I had a you know,
nice little, as I say, community theater career going on
(08:45):
at the moment, you know what I mean. And my yeah,
my family, my mom was into it. It's you know,
So I was I was doing that and having fun,
and someone called. I was doing a after school program
at a at a public school and uh, because my mom,
after nine kids, finally got a job, so she she,
(09:08):
you know, an.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
Outside job, nine nine kids.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
I was the younger. I'm the youngest of nine.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Yeah, wow, your mom should your parents should get like metals.
That's insane.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
Yeah, well, or yeah they were or just that's called
being Catholic.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
It's called being a staunch Catholic. He just kept going
until stuff started falling out, you know what I mean.
You know, my mother was a trip a God bless
her and her one big getaway. Her big getaway was
this community theater four blocks away from the house. And
so that was my first you know encounter and love
(09:50):
of the theater. And and I was doing this after
school you know program, which was really you know, everything
seems random until you put it all together. And someone called.
They were calling around schools to look for little white
kids who could sing and dance, which there weren't a
lot of us, you know, around, so they're like, yeah, oh,
(10:11):
but this is kid Joe. You know, he sings you know,
and the choir the church was like right down the block.
And you know, I was involved in this other neighborhood
Children's Theater of Boston, and we got together in more
red shirts with our names on it and sang songs
and raised money to take a trip every year. And
so I got the call and I was like, yeah,
(10:32):
I'm all set, like where like door, just yeah, I'm good.
Then they called back again. It's so funny because you
remember little things like I remember getting the phone number
and looking down. There's a snapshirt of like looking down
having the number in that public school and being like, no,
(10:53):
I'm good, you know. But then we found out that
Maurice Starr, who was putting this band together, produced and
kind of put New Edition on the map, so you know,
and that you know, the new Editions for you know, Candy.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
Up of course, you know, you know eighties classic, eighties classic.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Everyone has someone that precedes them, right, Oh, like you
know Backstreet saw you guys, Yeah, yeah, in sincts saw
Backstreet and ninety degrees. Whatever goes on and on and on.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
But right, I mean we we we love, as they say,
giving New Edition their flowers. I mean we we it's
it's just our it's our offering, you know what I mean.
We go to that place like as many times as
we can because they've been so gracious over the years.
Donnie just gave presented them with the NAACP Award Hall
(11:57):
of Fame and was able to give that to them,
and you know, you know, we still pinch ourselves because
like now, we're like family. A couple of years ago,
we performed on the AMAS together, which was I cried
for you know, weeks literally literally it was crazy. So
I said, well, why don't I audition. I'll audition, and
(12:19):
I went and I went up to Roxbury where another
town in Boxton where my parents were from. The funny
thing is it's a sign of the times because it's
nineteen eighty five and I'm just like, you know, hey, Dad,
I'm I'm going to audition for this thing. Where is it,
I'd say Roxbury or Dudley. I mean, yeah, this woman's
(12:41):
gonna pick me up, all right, Well be careful, you
know you know what I'm saying. It's like and there
I go, like up in this dilapidated brick building and
we all have the same story of meeting Maurice and
he's this big bear of a guy, and I sang
a Na King Cole song, you know, and any but
(13:01):
I love Hell is full.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Yeah you knew that.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
That's pretty cool because I, you know, my dad was again,
I was the youngest of nine, so that's the music.
He didn't grow up in the sixties and seventies. That
was you know, the standards were so any and and
in more East fast and he's like, okay, you're good.
And two weeks later, I was in a studio recording
a song with you know, the four other guys, like, yeah,
(13:33):
it's you know. The funny thing is is you could
get five different answers to the question you just asked.
You know what I'm saying, which is, you know, it's
it's endless, you know that the kind of like, for instance,
like Jordan was on Lance Bass's podcast recently, and because Jordan,
(13:58):
you know, doesn't say much, and he's in a group
with Donnie, who can talk with the best of them,
and then this guy too, who can you know, likes
to share. You know, I heard you know, the things
I never heard of his backstory, you know what I mean.
And Danny and Jordan were like in dueling, breakdance cruise,
you know, and like, you know, Danny was like, I
(14:20):
don't want to do it, but like, oh Jordan's going
to be in the New Kids, that I'm going to
be in the New Kids, all that kind of stuff.
So it's a rich it's a rich history. And I
certainly had my path and yeah, you know, we all
it's all on the I point back to our parents.
You know, our parents just came from a generation of
working class hard you know pull you you know, from
(14:44):
the bootstraps, like go after it, you know, have faith,
you know, selfless. You know, they all raised big families
and we came from that stock, you know, and you
know we hopes and dreams and you know, a lot
of fun and we got lucky along the way and
(15:05):
made the most of it.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
But so you did later than that was great, Thank
you so much for coming out. We got, we got
what we need. But so so you so too. You
get you you you sing love you. Two weeks later
you're recording, but you're twelve still or thirteen at this point.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
You're twelve, twelve and a half.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
How old were the other guys? Were they in high school?
Speaker 3 (15:29):
They were? They are? I always say that they were
like four years older than me, but Jordan was actually
only three. I mean I think he's under three years okay,
but they were teenagers. Big difference between twelve and like
sixteen and Joey.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
They were already in the band, right, They had.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
Disgother since they were five. They went to school.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Oh, so you were you were the one newcomer.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
I was the new kid.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Yeah, that must have been. I don't know. That's hard
to be the new kid.
Speaker 3 (16:01):
Yea, Guys, I'll talk to you all day about how
hard it was for me. No, I mean it was, yes,
it was. It was all of that. It was all
of that. It was not easy. It was not easy.
It was not easy. There were nights that I would
go home in that car. I wanted A year later,
I wanted to leave. And then you know, Donnie got
(16:21):
me on the phone and did a song and dance
and I hung in there and it was not easy.
It was not not easy.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Did you have like you talked about, you know, because
your parents came from a you know, that generation of
like this is your like you're going to stick this out,
like you're like you know we.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
No, No, it wasn't that no, because it wasn't this
ticket out. You know, it wasn't this thing it was
like it was you know, I mean I did come
from that like my dad, you know, even after new kids,
you know, the first time around, you know, he called
me and he'd be like, you know, get a job,
you know, and you know that that didn't mean something
(17:09):
fancy if that meant I was raking leaves down the street, right,
you like, get up and get after it and face
the day. You know. That's always important to him, you know.
And my mother, you know, wanted me to be a priest.
So as long as I wasn't sinning then you know.
So it wasn't it wasn't this like you know, but
(17:30):
you know, hanging there and you know, and you know,
life is life. I think it was. I think a
lot of people go through that, you know what I mean,
I think in school, in high school. I I that's the.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
Toughest time to get through. You know, David, You've got
a thirteen year old daughter right now, and it's just
a tough time.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Yeah sure, any of.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
This, Yeah, yeah, it's it's it's tricky. So I I
it kind of it just showed up for me in
that way, you know.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
And then all of a sudden, now you're in the studio,
you're recording. I don't know if you're helping write or
but how did you get into that? You know how
grueling that that lifestyle is.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
Well, you know, you go after it and you know,
the first thing I did was like sing ad libs
on this song stop It Girl, and it was I'll
be around you know, So that was what I was singing.
But in the back, I'm like, how the hell. I
don't know. It's probably from videos, right, you know, you
(18:37):
know in the eighties, like you just saw that. So
I just faked it, you know, I got the headphones
on it, and I'm like, okay, I guess this is
how it works on I'll be Around you know.
Speaker 2 (18:44):
It's like, oh my god, Joey, I was going to
ask you who sang the high parts on Please Don't
Go Girl and I'll Be Loving You? But now I
know who did it.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
No, that's the two different guys. So I sang lead
and Please Don't Go Girl, and then Jordan's sang lead
on I'll Be like in You Forever. But he was
the falsetto guy. I was the natural. My voice hadn't
changed yet, so.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Right, you guys said, I mean that is high octaves
over there.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
Yeah, no, I mean, yeah, one one is pre pubescent,
the other one is just a really good classic false set.
All that Jordan had that we.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Were like, so funny. Your voice hadn't changed yet so
you could do yeah, yeah, and were you able to
keep up with the guys as far as like the
number of hours and you know, we talked to other
musicians about the you know, the recording first of all,
the writing, the recording, the rehearsal for the tour, and
(19:42):
then the touring and rinse and repeat. It's people had
I mean, we talked to Lance Bask you know, people
said it was it was grueling for years and there
was really no breaks. And you were a young kid.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
Yeah, you could see that. My I had my A
Makeshifts high school graduation in the in the basement bar
of the hard Rock Cafe in London and he took
a picture of me. I don't know where the hell
it is. Maybe it's it's too painful. I'm white as
(20:17):
a ghost, I got dark circles under my eyes, and
I'm like, you know, you know, but what are you
gonna do you're in the you know, you're in the
biggest band in the world. My dad would try to
sit me down and you know, you know, he would say,
take five minutes for yourself, and you'd be like, what,
you know, I'm seventeen, Like what are you talking about me?
(20:41):
You know, I got my first girlfriend who's in la.
I'm on the phone till five in the morning. You know,
it's it's not normal. It's not normal. It's not normal.
And you know, you know the thing is, we know,
for instance, you could have the best upbringing, great parents
(21:04):
and go down a path of darkness and addiction, right,
you know what I mean, people can do it all
the right things, you know, and then you could be
in these situations that you know, bad decisions could be
easier to get at. You know, we were able to
avoid that. I mean, you know, luckily. You know the guys,
(21:25):
the older guys, they were just you know, into girls.
They weren't into drinking, they weren't into drugs, and so
I kind of dodged a bullet there.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
And you know other too, right, you had you had
a bunch of Yeah, having that.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
Was like you know, that support and also keeping you
in check too. You know, for better or for worse?
You know, how was it?
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Well no, because you know we're like jumping to how
easily you just like you said, it was really hard,
but you suddenly were put like you know, transplanted almost
into this lifestyle. And you know, David kind of kind
of you know, talked about what that schedule looked like,
but what did it really look like? For like, how
(22:15):
did you graduate school? Like were you trying? Were you
in between getting little pockets of school in. I also
want to know like the dance rehearsals and all.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
Of that, all that you know I did. I finished
ninth grade and then the summer after ninth grade, my
freshman year, we got that big tour with Tiffany.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Yes could have been so beautiful, right, what's that Tiffany?
That song could have been or something she had could
have been.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
Yeah, she'd appreciate that. That was like the second album
you know what I mean, you you fall. Yes, So
we had a single please Don't Go Girl was getting heat.
You have to have all these things, you know, catch fire.
(23:08):
So the single was going up the charts, and we
got this amazing tour. We went from like performing for
nobody a couple of you know shows in Boston too,
being in front of fifteen thousand girls like oh night.
So that exploded. And we were on tour for the
Summer and the Sun that was the summer tour, and
and and we were doing a couple of other dates
(23:29):
here and there, and I remember being in a hotel
room and calling my mom like at the end of
August and going, Mom, I I'm I'm not I'm not
going to school, like we're gonna keep torn and she
was like what, you know, she was clueless, you know
what I mean, Like it didn't matter to her that
we had like a hit record and we were, you know,
on tour, so we got a to that. We got
(23:54):
this really nice guy sore year. I even like took
my mid terms back at school, which is hilarious because
I wanted that experience, but now like we're blowing up.
And it was an all boys school, so it wasn't
you know, you know, so I could there was some
you know, it took my mid terms tenth grade was whatever,
(24:19):
eleventh grade, I mean, my junior year it was nuts.
And then by school was like.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly, Well that that makes sense. You
get the two you know, you get kind of inch
towards it just to get be able to get that degree,
but you.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
Knew exactly it was, Yes, it.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Was just getting through it for mom.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
Right, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
So your first big tour was opening for Tiffany. Yeah, okay,
and then what was your first first hit song where
you were like, okay, now now we're the openers.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
Well, I mean, please Don't Go Girl was our first hit.
It was a top ten record, and then and then
right Stuff came that was our number one, number three,
that went to number three. Uh. We started touring in
clubs like on our own, playing playing clubs.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
All around the country like Tour of Us, yes, yea, yeah, okay.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
Yeah, and then that next summer it flipped so Tiffany
opened for us and we were the headlines. That's how
that worked. Wow.
Speaker 1 (25:37):
Wow the music industry right, how quickly hid.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
Yeah, and so by then by then, you know, we
had I'll Be Loving You Forever was our first number
one record, and then Hanging Tough and Cover Girl and
on and on and on. Right.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
Yeah, for our listeners, you guys had two number one albums,
which is an incredible feat. Two number one Billboard albums. Yeah,
but do you guys feel like you started this sort
of genre. I mean, you know in the early nineties,
you know, grunge was coming in, but like there was
(26:15):
also how did you feel when Backstreet came out? Were
you guys like they're stealing our rap?
Speaker 1 (26:22):
No?
Speaker 3 (26:23):
I mean I think we had enough.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Right, no threat, No, we we knew.
Speaker 3 (26:35):
Again you point to a New Addition, you know what
I mean. You can't claim any of this stuff. You
know what I'm saying. It's in as much as you know,
New Addition was such the jump off for us that
you know, Yeah, of course New Addition was was modeled
after the Jackson five, you know what I mean. And
(26:57):
you know then before that was the Temptation in the
four Tops, and you know, of course the Osmond's had
such a you know, we.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
Could go back to the Beatles too. I mean as
far as the Beatles, yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
It depends on if you call them a boy band
or not, but certainly takeaway you know, the all time
great writing team of Lennon and McCartney. You know, you'd
still just have a bit boy band, you know what
I mean. And they acted a lot, you know, so
much of the Beatles was off stage you know, and
and their their charisma and whatnot. And I think a
(27:30):
big part of that is, you know, is what a
boy band is.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
You know, the fans can say, oh, I love John
because of his thoughtfulness, I love I love Paul, and
same with you guys. Like everyone had their favorite sure,
and they felt like they were a part of it,
they were invested in it.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
Yeah, yeah, I mean that's that's the uniqueness of a band,
is just something about it, you know what I mean,
It's just it's just locked in our Americana, you know,
Western hemisphere, you know, fantasy, you know, it's just what happens.
And yeah, so you know, and then by the time
(28:08):
back Street came along, you know, it was the nineties,
we weren't together anymore, the new kids, you know, it
was a time of you know, we all kind of
doing our solo projects, figuring out what, you know, the
rest of our lives are going to be.
Speaker 2 (28:21):
Like, you know, how did you guys walk away from
the band though at the height of it, Why, it wasn't.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
No, it wasn't at the height of it. It was
we stopped torn in like ninety two ish. We decided
to do one more album, but it was really just
for us. It was the album like we always wanted
to make. It was. But you know, back then, you know,
no social media. Now the same guy can like a
(28:51):
Tailor Swift song in a Nirvana song, you know what
I'm saying. Back then, you know how it was. You
had your radio station, you had your genre, u you
had your what you liked. But then also there were
the deciders. Back then, there were the curators, and you know,
the music scene changed. It wasn't pop anymore. It was dark,
(29:14):
it was heavy, it was grunge, and they took over.
There wasn't any room for pop music. Pop music was
rock and roll. Pop music was that punk angst. You know,
they took over. And back then there was only one MTV,
there was one local station. There was all that stuff,
you know what I mean. And so the landscape had changed,
(29:37):
and back then that's what it was. Now there's no
none of those shifts anymore, for better or for worse.
And so back then and plus we were growing up,
we were done. We made one more album. We did
like a small sort of you know, theater like pre tour,
what are we going to do? And then we just
(29:58):
we knew it was we knew it was time. We
knew it was time. Yeah, and that was in ninety four,
ninety four.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
And at that point, you know, I would imagine each
of you you started to have your own interests and
things you wanted to do, and you moved into acting.
You started to do you got some great acting jobs.
I'm gonna fangirl out a bit for a second, because
I am a huge musical theater lover. Yeah, and I
know I saw you as ro in Wicked on Broadway.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (30:29):
I think I've seen that show like because I had
a little girl who's now almost twenty two, and we
would see it almost every year like as a like
like as a birthday thing. And so how was that
transition for you? Was it something you knew that you had,
Like did you because you said you grew up doing
community theater, like, did you know you always still wanted
to act and kind of give that a go?
Speaker 3 (30:52):
Yes, I mean I would quietly do different projects. I
mean there was a there was a huge arrested development
saying here. You know, I I all my teen years,
you know, in my very early twenties were just wrapped
up in this train that was nu kids on the
(31:12):
block and you know, to come down off of that.
There were definitely some down in the DWN times, you
know what I mean, like what am I gonna do?
You know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Who am I?
Speaker 3 (31:26):
Right?
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Who am I?
Speaker 3 (31:28):
What do I like to do? It's all it was fuzzy,
you know, certainly a lot of what I call my
lost weekend, you know, going out every night, partying, drinking.
You know. Again, luckily I was in my own way,
you know, a lightweight. I also was the youngest of nine,
(31:50):
so you know, I had seven older sisters like keeping
an eye on me and what are you doing? You know,
So I'm blessed in that way. But yeah, I mean
I knew I always like I'm a theater kid, you
know what I'm saying, Like, I know what it means
(32:11):
to have the boards under your feet and you're up there,
you know, telling a story and you know, going inward
as well as you know, trying to connect, you know.
So I just knew it just was something that was
authentic to me that I didn't have to however, yeah,
you still got to get out of bed and go
(32:32):
after it. And you know that I had my own path,
you know. Back to that.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
And probably your experience in New Kids helped you feel
comfortable on a Broadway stage because I can't I mean,
going right before the curtain opens and you're the lead
in Wicked, I can't imagine the the emotion.
Speaker 3 (32:58):
Yeah, I mean I I had done actually right before Wicked,
like a year or so ago. Actually, I did my
first New York show. Was was called Tick Tick Boom.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
It was Yes, of course, that was amazing, amazing.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
Yeah, Netflix and Lin Manuel did an amazing job at
the movie on Netflix. So so check that out.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
It's incredible. It's a incredible story.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
Yeah, and on on on on stage. It's a three
person show. I played the lead and I'm on stage
for an hour and a half singing thirteen songs. And
it's a Jonathan Larson story who wrote Rent, and after
Rent blew up and he unfortunately passed away, like the
opening night of Rent. That whole story. Yeah, they took
that this show got a really good writer and kind
(33:56):
of reworked it. And that was my first show. I
was in the original production. I was the second guy
in on that. But so you know, part of my
point is like for Wicked, like, yes, I was one
of the leads, but you know, when when you have
a Dina Menzel and you know, you know, the two
you can come. You know, I like playing, you know,
(34:22):
but it's amazing. It's amazing to you know, I made
my Broadway debut like singing every night with a Dina
Menzel who had just won the Tony for that role.
So yeah, it was, it was. It was epic, you know,
and it's more epic, you know, looking back on it now,
you know you know how it is right, you know,
(34:43):
in the moment, we're just doing it and yeah, this
is cool. But like, am I doing okay? Like now
that recently, like I looked to tape someone you know,
you're not supposed to video, but there's a couple of
videos and I'm like, I was really freaking good good knowing.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
That none of us ever say that, but you know.
Speaker 3 (35:04):
You should say that, you know. I had like a
bit I was like, how do we share like, you know,
content and all that. I wanted to do this thing
where I want to say I got a big announcement coming, guys,
I got a big announcement, you know, and the fans
are going to think, oh, what's what's you know, and
maybe a few days later, like I say, you know,
tune in and then just the idea of like tuning
(35:25):
in and saying, hey, thanks for coming on. I just
wanted to make an announcement. I'm very talented. I'm very talented.
I bring a lot to the table and I add
to whatever I'm a part of.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
Thank the best attitude. Honestly, you're as insecure they you'd.
Speaker 3 (35:45):
Have taken me fifty years man, But that's true. And
of course we could all say that yes you know,
but but but it's so corny. And that's what I
hate about that. It's so corny. But it would get
the most likes of any thing I've ever done because
it's honest and real. It's real.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
It's real.
Speaker 3 (36:04):
Yes, it's so real and it's so true. But like,
but you can follow that with like it took me
that long.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
You could follow that statement with but I might never
work again and never goes away. That's honest as well.
Like I know how child that I am, but there's
so many things out of my control in this business
which is so crazy that I you know.
Speaker 3 (36:28):
But are you yes? Yes?
Speaker 2 (36:31):
So then you went I listen.
Speaker 1 (36:32):
I know.
Speaker 2 (36:33):
Donnie also uh has had an amazing acting career, but
then you went on to Boston Public. You did all
this uh in front of the camera work. How was
that transition?
Speaker 1 (36:46):
You know.
Speaker 3 (36:49):
Again to get continue this corny? You know, the universe
takes care of us, you know, a long in the way,
like you know, you know Boston Public. Yeah, I always
say I could count of maybe maybe I'm going on
the secondhand of like the five auditions that I knocked
(37:14):
it out of the park and then the other two
hundred I wanted to jump out the window, you know
what I'm saying. I was wicked. I came in there
like I own the joint, you know what I mean.
Boston Public. I was in for a day, you know showbiz.
You know it's like back then, you know, the reality stuff.
It was sort of like frowned on.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
I was.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
I was in town for one day to do Hollywood Squares.
Now I'd rather be in town, you know, doing an
arc on like you know, you know what I'm saying.
You don't, guys what I'm saying. What it's in front
of you. So and I had I got an audition
for David Kelly and Boston Public. And I went in there.
Speaker 4 (37:59):
And in.
Speaker 3 (38:00):
In two days, I read for the casting I was
doing stuff in that room that like getting up, taking
my jacket off, putting it on the back. I was
doing all kinds of stuff and the girl was like,
oh my god, you know you could just eat it
was you almost picked up the phone like when I
was in the room and like show the producers. So
then so then I read for the producers later that
(38:22):
day and the next day I'm in a room with
David Kelly and like it was like an out of
body experience, like I'm you know, sitting on the table,
you know, doing let me tell you, I'm playing a teacher.
It's like that's the kind of thing. So but to
your point, I was in that situation. I was green.
(38:44):
I was green, but the producers took care of me.
You know. The first three episodes they didn't give me much.
But I had like two lines in the in the
first episode and I was Tito, but that was my
role too. I was a new young priacher. So it worked.
Speaker 1 (39:03):
But how did you feel? Because David and I talk
about this all the time, you know, and we were
seasoned actors, you know what I mean. We did our
own series and then we came to LA and we
would get these guest spots and the like. It is
so hard to go into a show as a guest star,
like you feel like, oh, where do I fit in?
(39:24):
They could fire me at any moment, And did you
have that feeling of like, oh, they're going to find
me out? Oh it's or did you feel really good
because you knew you earned it because you kicked me
such a There.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
Was definitely that. There was definitely that they technically only
had me for three episodes, but everyone was like you
be you know, picktop. That was an easy pick up,
you know. Then they signed me to like half the
season and by like episode ten. What the funny thing
(39:58):
is is what I would eat? You remember the actor
five a Sprinkle, Oh, I mean he was like from
you know, he was on there and I was telling
the story about we were in like a little scene.
It was me and uh Johnny Abrams, who was playing
(40:23):
the other the other young teacher, and we're in there
and he's this older guy but like he's a legend,
and he's like, we're going to you know, I said
something like he paused, and I said like come in
or something. I gave him a direction, you know what
I'm saying, Like I didn't no, no, right, which I
(40:43):
kind of knew better, but I said it like we
got along, He's like, and he goes, uh, there's a
new director in town. Right. So I started doing this
fiber sprinkle imitation and the writers saw that and they
wrote for me, know right, So you know basically I
got signed for the you know, the season and it
(41:06):
worked out, you know, and I did one season and
then then I did, you know, then I went and
did Wicked, and you know, of course, you know, looking back,
you know, oh I would have tweaked it here, or
would have tweaked it there. I would have done a
little bit more with that is that? And I was like,
but I did the.
Speaker 2 (41:23):
Best I could, you know, right, I mean, for your
first TV show to be written by David Kelly, it's
such a gift. I wouldn't you wouldn't tweak anything, just
say the lines because.
Speaker 3 (41:34):
Yeah, I know, I know, it was cool. It was cool.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
The favorite in our house is The Heat, which is
such a good funny. Is that movie? And how much
fun did you have? And tell us a little bit
about that?
Speaker 3 (41:51):
So fun I do call it? I said, it's it's
a modern day classic. It's the closest we can get
to a to a classic nowadays. And you know hometown.
You know, I'm with these like improv ninjas, you know
what I mean. That's dinner scene with all of us.
And what I kept thinking is Jane Curtin was in
(42:13):
the scene. Legend Jane Curtin myself. If Jane Curtin doesn't
have to say anything, I don't either, you know what
I'm saying. I'm gonna take my shots, but like I
don't need to make a meal out of anything. Jane
Curtin is in the scene, She's not jumping in, you
know what I'm saying. So it was so funny, so
(42:35):
fun I basically got that job because one of the
Jamie Dembo, who was one of the actors in that scene,
she's an amazing writer and actor and comedian, and she
did this take off for funny or die back in
(42:56):
the day of instead of mad Men, it was mad
Men Massachusetts m a men.
Speaker 4 (43:01):
Oh, And it was this filthy, filthy like Nceed seventeen
or whatever it is, like, there was filthy version of
Boston Madmen, and it.
Speaker 2 (43:12):
Was with the full on accents, probably right full on accents.
Speaker 3 (43:16):
It's worth googling. Oh, definitely I got and I was like, actually,
Michael O'Malley, the actor Michael Maleley called me. He was like, Bro,
I'm the face of Time Warner right now. I can't
do this? Can you do this? So I walk in
and like again, it was an opportunity, you know, in
that world, the comedy world, they were like, oh, this
(43:36):
kid's funny. Like he's like whatever, I just got it.
Sometimes you just get it. It was hilarious. We did
two of them. I got more calls from that than ever,
and I kind of got cast from that. I mean,
I went in to audition, but it was me and
Nate Quadry Funny Funny Boss, Funny Factory. Yeah, and he's
(43:59):
he was one of the I think we were brothers
in the Heat. He was in that Skid as well.
Bill Burr, who is now a great friend at mine. Yeah.
And Bro, I mean, like a real movie, a studio
movie in my hometown. That's the first time I got
a residual check that was more than what I made
(44:20):
for the movie.
Speaker 1 (44:21):
That was like, yeah, that's a big time, big times. Yeah,
it's amazing how you do something like that. And I,
you know, I'm thinking of another example. I feel like
when you know, justin Timberlake was went on SNL and
was funny, that got him exactly, it just changed his career,
(44:44):
you know, it just started getting him work as an actor.
And so when you get a chance to do something
sort of low stakes like that and it blows up,
is so cool.
Speaker 3 (44:54):
I got more.
Speaker 1 (44:54):
Definitely, I have to I have to check that out.
Speaker 2 (45:07):
Can we talk about the new album and if there's
possibly like a tour coming up.
Speaker 3 (45:13):
It's very possible. It's actually happening, David, Yeah, it's happening.
It's happening.
Speaker 1 (45:20):
Not only is it possible, this is.
Speaker 3 (45:22):
A special announcement for dudes. Oh so dudes for the nineties.
Big announcement. There's a new Kids tour happening.
Speaker 2 (45:31):
Everybody all kids.
Speaker 3 (45:32):
Yeah, No, we have a tour happening this summer. That's
very exciting and we have special guests Paul Abdul and
DJ Jazzy Jeff. Oh wow, it's a big deal and
that's happening. Our new single Kids is out and our
new album comes out May seventeenth, so it's really good.
(45:53):
We hadn't made a full album in a long time,
and I basically Donnie wrote one half of it. I
wrote the other half of it. The whole groups, you know,
very much involved. And it's not easy to make an
album these days when everybody's in five different places. But
we made it happen and it's we're very excited about it.
Speaker 2 (46:15):
And it's called Still Kids, Still Kids. Yeah, and you
all have kids, and you probably I was going to say,
speaking of kids, what do they think of you?
Speaker 3 (46:26):
Like?
Speaker 1 (46:27):
How does that like when they go regular Dad.
Speaker 3 (46:33):
I'm playing piano, I was singing, It's like, dad, can
you shut the door please?
Speaker 1 (46:38):
You know, a lack of interest that our children.
Speaker 3 (46:42):
Have, and what we do is a sound size.
Speaker 2 (46:46):
It keeps everyone humble though, right, yeah, kind of when
you're at home, take out the trash man, you know.
Speaker 3 (46:53):
Yeah yeah, my, I mean, you know, not funny enough,
but my, my, my old This son is sixteen and
he's a phenomenal musician. So he inspire it's so funny,
like he legit inspires me to just sit down at
(47:15):
the piano. I'm playing more and more piano and writing
music like on my own, collaborating of course, but like
he's playing all the time, guitar, piano. You know, we're
inspired by our kids. You know. It's like my daughter
is a fantastic gymnast and the way she shows up
and my youngest son, Reese, just you know, I never
(47:38):
knew that would be an experience, you know that you
could actually, you know, because we're supposed to inspire our kids,
you know, but it's like it's the other way around,
you know.
Speaker 1 (47:47):
Yeah, it really is nowadays, right with I mean, it's
pretty amazing. Do you think do you see yourself from
writing with your son and doing music together at some point?
Speaker 3 (47:59):
You know, he's so good on his own. I have
so much respect for him that I don't I think
about it because like you'll just sit at the piano
and like start playing stuff, and I'm like, I hope
he's writing a song over those chors, you know, and
I'm like, the's none of my business, you.
Speaker 1 (48:17):
Know, Yes, having to just like lay off right, that
must be so hard.
Speaker 3 (48:23):
And you know, I don't know how cool that is
to like I would love to, you know, you know,
but he's got his own path and we we have
sung all over the years. I mean he's like he
played piano for me at Carnegie Hall last year.
Speaker 1 (48:39):
It was like, oh my god, I wanted to ask
you about the Carnegie Hall show. That is I mean
that to me is like life could be over after that.
Speaker 3 (48:50):
Right, I thought I'm retiring.
Speaker 1 (48:54):
How was that?
Speaker 3 (48:56):
And yeah it was? It was everything. The cool thing
is that, like speaking of right sizing, you know, the
real gift was like, you know, twenty eight hundred people
and one of the most famous, you know, venues in
the world, and it felt like someone's you know, living room.
It was because these these fans you know, have known me,
(49:18):
you know, my whole life. The fans their family. I
mean it's really you know, and and they're celebrating you know,
themselves by coming to New York and this fun night
and like let's do this, you know. And I had
you know, an amazing bunch of guests, you know, including
the new kids, and you know, I had them all
(49:38):
come out one by. Donnie came out once, you know first,
and literally the roof exploded, like as you know, so
lots of different moments that I couldn't have It couldn't
have gone any better.
Speaker 1 (49:55):
So wonderful.
Speaker 3 (49:56):
Yeah, yeah, that's cool.
Speaker 2 (49:58):
Well, Joey, this has been amazing. We gotta let you go.
Speaker 1 (50:02):
Lan By, thank you so much, so you're.
Speaker 3 (50:06):
You guys got to come to the show, so we have.
We're playing the Forum July fifth, David, if you're in
l A.
Speaker 2 (50:15):
Uh, yeah, dude, I would love to come.
Speaker 3 (50:17):
Come on through. And then Christina, are you going to
be in New York during the summer or what.
Speaker 1 (50:22):
When in the summer, because we did that's usually travel time.
But maybe yeah, I.
Speaker 3 (50:27):
Think we're Oh, we play, we played Jones Beach.
Speaker 1 (50:35):
We'll be around in August for sure.
Speaker 3 (50:37):
Look at I mean, look at the it's all on
our on our website, but look it.
Speaker 1 (50:41):
Might be somewhere.
Speaker 3 (50:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (50:45):
Yeah, Joe, congrats on the new album. The new single
is amazing, and and good luck on the tour. Man,
go break a leg and enjoy it all.
Speaker 3 (50:54):
Appreciate it. Yeah, I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (50:57):
Thanks guys, thanks for chatting so great.
Speaker 3 (50:59):
You okay, okay, thanks you.
Speaker 2 (51:02):
I mean, I love this hour we spent together.
Speaker 1 (51:05):
I just it's that to me, like just I always
love when we get yes to you know, when he
just said, not to be too corny, but I'd love
to say this and I'd love to be able to
say this about myself and like the pure you know,
the love and the joy and the being able to
look back and you know, realize how critical you were
(51:28):
of yourself, and now, you know, at fifty years old,
to be able to look back and say, oh god,
I was good.
Speaker 2 (51:34):
Yes, none of us ever want to say that, but
my gosh, they were. I mean, I remember when New
Kids came out. I didn't know that kind of fame existed. Yeah,
it was like intense and it was for the time
the music really connected with people. Our age. I was,
you know, most eighth ninth I don't know what grade
I was.
Speaker 1 (51:54):
Well yeah, yeah, yeah, like you said, it was like
late eighties into the nineties, so it was exactly our
high school you know that.
Speaker 2 (52:02):
Yeah, I'm all had. I mean, it sounds like Joe
had a great family around him, which is always the
through line to many people we speak to. But they
all are great, well adjusted, kind, grateful, working, successful adults. Yeah,
and that to me is just awesome.
Speaker 1 (52:20):
Yeah. Yeah, that was really always fascinating, always fascinating stories
and what he was saying. I felt like at the
end about Carnegie Hall, just to kind of like bookend
our experience. When he talked about the people that came
out to support him for this show, He's like it
wasn't even like you know people, It was like family.
(52:43):
That in a way is I think what we were
talking about how nineties Cotton felt like for us, because
these are people who you know, save up their money,
they come there, they are all they're there for is
to just support us and tell us the stories. And
I just feel like to be able.
Speaker 2 (53:00):
To sort of part of their childhood or they're growing up,
it was like we were part of were We really
were part of the family.
Speaker 1 (53:08):
And you don't you just don't know that when you're
working on something in that way, you just don't, especially
for us as kids, when we were working on Hey, dude,
we had no idea so to just you know, it's
just a very very special.
Speaker 2 (53:22):
Yeah, nineties com really reminded us of that. But you know,
one thing I wanted to ask him was that Mark
Wahlberg was in New Kids at one point, and I
wanted to know, I know, and then he went on
and did his own solo career. But Mark Wahlberg was
a member with his brother Donny of New Kids and
(53:42):
then somehow dropped out.
Speaker 1 (53:45):
All right, thanks for listening everyone, Thank you so much.
Next week with a good one. A little tease someone
I have worked with. I don't know if you've worked
I won't say.
Speaker 2 (53:58):
Now you have a big It's just a tease.
Speaker 1 (54:01):
It's a tease someone I've worked with. I mean, listen,
I've been doing this for thirty plus years. I'm saying
no more. I'm saying no more.
Speaker 2 (54:09):
Great weekend, Christina. It was so much fun with you,
so fun. All right, thanks for listening, everybody. Bye, have
a great.
Speaker 1 (54:15):
Week Thanks for listening. Make sure to subscribe and give
us five stars
Speaker 2 (54:19):
And please follow us on Instagram at Hey Dude the
nineties called see you next time.
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